1st meeting of the Thematic Group on Effective Approaches for Simplification within the CAP

Simplification is defined as the minimisation of costs that are not strictly necessary for achieving the policy’s objectives, and the reduction of administrative burdens on both administrations and beneficiaries.

This Thematic Group (TG) meeting opened with insights from current EU CAP Network work on CAP Evaluation - to be published in spring 2025 - which identified streamlining procedures, reducing bureaucracy and building greater trust in the system as the main ways to simplify CAP implementation. The opening presentation also stressed that there is limited awareness among stakeholders regarding simplification initiatives in other countries.

A presentation by the European Commission - DG AGRI outlined the Commission’s ongoing work to simplify the CAP through a second simplification package that is being developed with input from Member States, stakeholders and farmers. Four key areas are being tackled: on-farm simplification and streamlining of requirements, streamlining support for small and medium-sized farms, boosting competitiveness through streamlining and simplifying, and simplifying performance and reporting requirements.

Following a Q&A session, during which TG members could request clarifications and express their priorities and concerns, the participants engaged in parallel group discussions aimed at taking stock of challenges in relation to different aspects of CAP design and implementation and exploring possible ways to address them through simplification. The groups were structured around three core themes: CAP applications/implementation, reporting requirements, and controls and inspections/monitoring.

The discussion identified issues and possible actions that will be further discussed through the next TG activities.